


Unmindful

by Arya_Greenleaf



Series: Kylux Guro Challenge [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: 33 Day Guro Challenge, Angst, Decapitation, Guro, M/M, Mental Instability, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 18:05:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7584511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arya_Greenleaf/pseuds/Arya_Greenleaf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When it is decided that in order to save face and maintain the underlying fear of the Knights of Ren and the Dark Side of the Force, Hux must be punished for the fall of Starkiller Base, Kylo cannot abide. Aware that the base and the weapon were destroyed largely because of his own mistakes and poor judgement, he pleads to be allowed, instead, to monitor Hux under a sort of house arrest aboard the Finalizer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unmindful

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilery warnings for MCD and content down in the end notes.

The Monk served as Judge and Jury.

Leader Snoke wanted a scapegoat; that much was obvious to the Ren from the moment it was suggested that someone other than Kylo be punished for the massive failure of Starkiller Base and the loss of the map leading to Skywalker.

The First Order was struggling to find its feet once more. So much of its limited credit had been poured into the building and maintenance of the base, under constant threat of collapse due to the hollowed-out core of the planet or implosion when it was filled with dark matter energy, even those highest in the Order's ranks were doubting the success of future conquests. More than one amongst the network of officers had been charged with treason or desertion in the wake of the Starkiller Incident.

Hux, though obviously restless and angry, had stayed loyal against the expectations of everyone whose opinion and support seemed to matter. He seemed secure in the knowledge that ultimately, his part in Starkiller had been an undeniable success.

 

***

 

_Today is the end of the Republic!_

Hux looked at himself hard in the mirror, disgusted with his own personal disorder, and picked up the canister of shaving gel from the edge of the sink. He began to lather his face, cringing at the feel of the bristly, just-clipped hairs against his fingers, the bowl of the sink already full of hair that he'd trimmed from his cheeks and head.

_...bring an end to the Senate, to their cherished fleet!_

Was that not what he'd accomplished? With the destruction of Hosnian Prime also came the literal destruction of the physical housing of the Galactic Senate and a good number of the inflated peacocks who held seats there. Hux had learned later that it was only by narrow margin that General Organa had not been on-planet herself, a representative serving in her place while she cowered somewhere at the Resistance Base. A sizable number of the ships of the New Republic's Starfleet had also been stationed in the system. With the evaporation of those ships came the elimination of officers, pilots, and technicians alike from the playing field.

_All remaining systems will bow to the First Order!_

That _was_ happening, slowly but surely. The systems surrounding the Hosnian were left without defense. Their economies were collapsing. Their people were scrambling. Where there was not an immediate replacement for any political leader that had been lost in the Hosnian, those who were sympathetic to the Order or believed in the old regime of the Empire had stepped into place.

Hux dragged the razor over his cheek in methodical strokes, feeling himself return to something of the man he was before it had been necessary to run through the snow and underbrush, following the beacon of the GPS in Kylo's belt on his datapad. It had been well over a month, but too sharp a breath or shifting in his bunk during a sleep cycle still sent pain lancing through his chest and flank.

Hux paused, clenching his jaw and gripping the handle of the razor tightly. He could see himself, a squadron of troopers at his heels, slipping on a wet, icy patch over a stony ridge as they searched the area surrounding the main complex of the base. He'd come down hard, rolling with it and crashing as he tumbled over the ridge. He was certain he would have been at least in significantly less pain at that point had it not been necessary to locate Ren, haul him into the emergency shuttle that had been trailing them overhead, and then use the last of the Finalizer's bacta reserves in attempting to bring Ren out of the apparent shock he'd fallen into and keep him from succumbing to blood loss and general injury.

He supposed it was fitting anyway, he hated the reek of bacta.

Hux resumed his shaving, startling and nicking himself when the refresher door slid open of its own accord, the petite but heavily robed frame of one of the Ren filling the threshold.

"Kriff."

The Ren raised a brow, blue-tinged lips pulling into an expression of displeasure. "You must come with me."

"I must go nowhere." He grimaced at his reflection and wiped his face off, pressing a thumb into the nick on his throat. Hux leaned casually against the rim of the sink, pushing his mounting irritation down. None of the Knights had been on the Finalizer since Kylo Ren had been delivered to them at Snoke's behest. What was this one doing here now? Unannounced? Unrequested? "I'll ignore your blatant disregard for my authority and privacy."

The Knight rolled her eyes, adopting an air of petulance. "Leader Snoke requires your presence."

"Fine, you may accompany me to the conference room, I'll call for the channel to be set up now." Hux pushed past her and reached for his comm.

"No, on-planet. He demands an in-person audience."

"Now?"

"Yes."

"I have work to do, surely he realizes that."

"You question  _his_  authority, General?"

Hux clenched his jaw, holding back his retort. "I need to inform my second in command that I will be off-ship. I will join you once I've been to the bridge."

"Your staff has already been informed. You must come now."

Hux opened his mouth to protest and found his voice silenced. His throat tightened and his head spun for a moment as he fought the compulsion. Suddenly, the feeling spread thin in a fluttery, pleasant buzz. “Of course.”

Hux followed the Knight, striding confidently just a half step behind her, watching the lights play in her forest-hued hair and wondering why he’d never noticed how it reminded him of the variegated colors of the rolling hills beyond the Academy on Arkanis. Warmth welled up from his toes and pooled in his belly in a comforting way, nearly distracting him from the distinct lack of activity on the ship as Hux and the Ren made their way toward the hangar.

The fall of their boots ran out through the cavernous space of the hangar. Normally a non-stop hub of activity, it was quiet and still—unsettling. Hux frowned, the warmth in his belly fading into the churning on acid.

“No.”

“Excuse me?” The Knight stopped just before she reached the ramp of Kylo Ren’s command shuttle. She turned on her heel, adjusting her helmet under her arm and narrowing her eyes at him.

“Something is wrong.”

“No, there isn’t.”

“Something is wrong. Where—where is Lieutenant Mitaka?” Hux turned in a slow circle, panic rising in his chest. “Thanisson! Unamo!” He took two hesitant steps forward, relieved his feet responded, and then broke into a quick, purposeful stride toward the lift.

“General.”

“No!” The lift doors slid open as he approached, a tall figure with a grid-patterned mask standing calmly inside. “Ph-Phasma? Phasma!” Hux halted, pushing his chin forward and curling his hands into tights fists at his sides. “I demand to know the reason for th—“

The Knight’s hand lifted calmly, he sighed as if put-upon, the Force wrapping itself about Hux’s throat and preventing him from continuing. Hux’s eyes widened and he struggled to remain impassive.

“Do not make this difficult, General. It will not behoove you to defy mandates from the Supreme Leader.”

The Knight hooked his arm through Hux’s breaking the contact about his throat. Hux dug his heels in, his face flushing with the indignity of it as he dragged his feet and tried to free himself from the Knight’s grasp. He shouted, willing any of his crew to appear, to come to his aid, calling out names as saliva flew off of his lips.

His heavy steps rang out against the durasteel boarding ramp of the command shuttle. “No! I will _not_ go! You will tell me what this is about _now!_ ” He thrashed in the Knight’s grip, letting out a pained squawk as he landed hard on his knees. “No!” he shouted as the ramp began to rise. He scrambled forward, freezing in place with his hand outstretched toward the access panel.

The smaller of the two clucked her tongue. “Not very fitting behavior for a General of your caliber, Hux.”

 

***

 

Kylo felt the Monk’s approach more than anything. His presence was quiet but imposing, the Force in a constant state of flux around him.

“Master Ren.”

“Yes.” Kylo continued to focus, his attention on the shifting, shining sphere of water he was holding in the air.

His failure at Starkiller—against the girl, against the traitor, against Solo—had left him weakened in more than just a physical sense. It was true that his vision had not returned, his right eye still clouded and useless even after the swelling had dissipated. It was true that the strength in his arm was fleeting, that the muscles of his flank remained shredded.

The Ren, though Kylo increasingly believed it was Snoke, did not partake in the miracles of modern medicine. They chose a path of healing through the Force. That was what Kylo was attempting to do.

It served a twofold purpose. He would recover, however slowly, from his physical injuries. In the healing, he would pull _himself_ back together. He would find focus and purpose, he would extinguish the lingering Light that Solo’s death hadn’t.

He would rise and correct his mistakes.

“You must come now.”

“I know.” Kylo opened his eyes, watching his reflection in the wobbling sphere. His scarred and twisted visage, he decided, was truly hideous.

_The face of my son._

No longer.

“Have you treated Hux well?”

“Of course. He has not yet been tried.”

The water splashed on the floor, the coolness of it a shock against Kylo’s bare toes. “Lead the way, then.”

**Author's Note:**

> Let's start all of these with kind of full disclosure: MCD is Hux. He dies at the beginning though Kylo very much does not act that way. Please do heed the tags.


End file.
